Most "real world" DT album? (lyrically)

[SnakeEyes]

I mean real themes as opposed to "fantasy" (Images & Words, Systematic Chaos, etc) and fiction (SFAM).  I'd have to say that AWAKE is their most "real" album lyrically.  6:00, Space Dye Vest, the Mirror.... actually, pretty much every song is a song about mature themes and written in a mature manner. 

Thoughts?

[CharlesPL]

SDOiT, BC&SL also

[Cable]

Yup, Awake for sure. I personally relate highly to Voices, Scarred, SDV, and LSOAD. Although JP has said Voices is kind of about Schizophrenia, I take it somewhere else.

[Darkstarshades]

BC&SL and SDOIT are albums where no fantasy at all is used.

ToT has no fiction either, but it's much less straight than the other two.
Since I got no idea of what the hell is Scarred about, I'd say that's not true.

[SnakeEyes]

Scarred, to me, is about a really long relationship (maybe even a marriage) that has gone bad ("thirty years says we're in this together") and one person is "scarred" by things that have happened in the marriage.... maybe insults, cheating, etc.  That's what I get out of it...

[SnakeEyes]

By the way, Black Clouds and Silver Linings.... really?  One song is about free masons and another is called.... THE COUNT OF TUSCANY.  Just sayin'! 

[TheCountOfNYC]

Six Degrees of Inner Thrbulence. It discusses the very real topics of alcoholism, questioning faith, feeling isolated, stem cell research, accepting death, and mental illness. Not a single song is based on fiction in any way.

[ToT-147]

I'd say the homonymous..

There's not fantasy or fiction on that one (which I found a bit disappointing).. It's all about the "real world", though in a philosophical way..

[pcs90]

I'd have to go with Awake, SDOIT or DT12.

[hefdaddy42]

Six Degrees of Inner Thrbulence. It discusses the very real topics of alcoholism, questioning faith, feeling isolated, stem cell research, accepting death, and mental illness. Not a single song is based on fiction in any way.

Yep.  This, Awake, and maybe Train of Thought are the big contenders.

[SnakeEyes]

Yeah, I can see Six Degrees and Train of Thought being "real world" as well.  Now begs the question -- which one of the three is the BEST "real world" one?

I'd still say Awake.  I just think the lyrics are better written than the other two. 

[hefdaddy42]

I agree with you.  Awake is the best of them (by any measure).

[Marion Crane]

Train of Thought for me. No question.

[Train of Naught]

Six Degrees for me, I think the opinions are divided pretty equally.

[Darkstarshades]

By the way, Black Clouds and Silver Linings.... really?  One song is about free masons and another is called.... THE COUNT OF TUSCANY.  Just sayin'!

Lol, freemasonry is a real thing and it is known that several famous historical figures have belonged to the same organization, so that's not fiction.

And The Count of Tuscany, in case you didn't know, is the absolute definition of non-fiction since this is an experience that Petrucci himself had during a trip. Now, that he had personally exaggerated his feelings and thoughts during his time, that's something we can't truly know. Still, that's something that could 100% happen.

[ToT-147]

And The Count of Tuscany, in case you didn't know, is the absolute definition of non-fiction since this is an experience that Petrucci himself had during a trip. Now, that he had personally exaggerated his feelings and thoughts during his time, that's something we can't truly know. Still, that's something that could 100% happen.

So you're saying JP was afraid to die, sitting there alone, no one by his side?..

Nah, it's not 100% fiction, but it is the amount enough to not consider it a real world lyric.. Is not only the feeling he experienced during that trip, but most of all the stories he heard in that place.. "The Count of Tuscany" actually exists:

But the whole lyrics are based on myths JP was told, not a "real world" thing as far as I know..

[noxon]

Well, the "dead body on display" thing is very real in tuscany. There are several such cases to be found. https://chipandkit.wordpress.com/2015/05/08/tuscany-and-now-about-those-dead-bodies/

[Evermind]

So you're saying JP was afraid to die, sitting there alone, no one by his side?..

Now, that he had personally exaggerated his feelings and thoughts during his time, that's something we can't truly know.

Yeah.

I don't see why you would argue about that since JP himself said this song was based on his real world encounter with the count. And hey, no shit The Count of Tuscany actually exists - JP met him and wrote the lyrics about that.

[Rodni Demental]

By the way, Black Clouds and Silver Linings.... really?  One song is about free masons and another is called.... THE COUNT OF TUSCANY.  Just sayin'!

I don't follow, what parts are fantasy?

[SnakeEyes]

Ok, fine.  Let me rephrase.  Instead of, "real world," how about, "relatable"?  I don't know about you guys, but I can't really "relate" to free masonry or thinking I'm going to get murdered by some mysterious guy in a foreign country.  I CAN relate to, "the spirituality between a man and a woman" (Lifting Shadows off a Dream) and the effects of alcoholism (the Mirror, not that Im an alcoholic, by the way) and knowing people who go to 9-5 jobs every day, never following dreams (6:00).

[RMGadelha]

I would classify SFAM as both fantasy and fiction, but oh well =P

I would have to go with SDOIT too.

[Mladen]

A Dramatic turn of events

Every song (with the exception of Lost not forgotten) is either introspective or a social observation.

[ToT-147]

A Dramatic turn of events

Every song (with the exception of Lost not forgotten and Bridges in the Sky) is either introspective or a social observation.

FTFY..

[Rodni Demental]

^^^ Bridges in the Sky is surely more introspective than fiction. I guess the Shaman character might make it seem fictional? Still I'm surprised ADTOE wasn't mentioned sooner.

It occurs to me that DT12 and even Octavarium are mostly introspective/observational stuff too now that you mention ADTOE.

[Darkstarshades]

Except that Shamans do exist in real life, so I don't see what's fiction about it.

I actually wrote a short story about Octavarium, and how it represents different aspects of life, so that's fairly realistic too. Even the Awakening section in Octavarium is a real story. I Walk Beside You is the only romantic song in the entire discography?

[Rodni Demental]

Except that Shamans do exist in real life, so I don't see what's fiction about it.

Exactly, only that the particular shaman character is fictional for the sake of the song, unless he isn't. 

[Pettor]

SDOIT. Well written lyrics that is easy to understand and relate to. Actually I have hard time understanding how anyone can pick any other album that this in regards to the subject. It's about loosing control, being misunderstood, religion, feeling outside of the society, loosing someone you love, highly debatable topics from different views etc. in a clear but smart way. Also there are so many different subjects being discussed during the album.

Awake is very good at being emotional but the lyrics are vague and more open for interpretation. I feel much when listening to Voices, LSOAD, Scarred and Space-Dye Vest, but it's because of the emotional sound and emtional sections of the lyrics, not because I fully relate to the songs. Some lyrics feel way to specific for a individual person for me to fully relate to. Also  :

"Mother Mary quite contrary
Kiss the boys and make them wary
Things are getting just a little bit scary
It's a wonder I can still breathe"

Train of Thought is pretty high up the list as well, but Honor Thy Father for example is very specific if "relatable" is a criteria. But it's very "real world".

[matthewmatt]

Since you have changed the criteria to „relatable“, I will definitely not say Awake – it’s way too disconnected for me to see it as a „real album“ as you do – for example I have absolutely no idea what Lifting or Scarred or The Silent Man are about (yes, I know what they’re supposed to be about, I just don’t hear it – or not enough to relate).
So, the most „real/relatable“ to me are (in order from most to least favourite):

SDOIT

Octavarium, which is very personal-problems-oriented (including the title track which I more or less interpret as a lament of an always-unhappy musician/artist, lamenting that he’s restricted by the laws of music itself, so his best works might always sound like another song/piece of art… Hence the „could this be everything“, the quote part and „trapped inside this octavarium“). Yeah, I know.

TOT

BC&SL, yes, including The Count (since I have experienced visits that made me feel really uneasy, like „am I safe with this guy?“) and the slightly-not-fitting-but-still-plausible Rite.


Most relatable for me is probably 8 or TOT, though.

[ToT-147]

Even the Awakening section in Octavarium is a real story. I Walk Beside You is the only romantic song in the entire discography?

Is it?.. I thought it was a fictional story, obviously written based on reality, which is a pretty different thing btw.. Where did you read that?..

About IWBY: probably.. and it's not even 100% certain about a man and a woman or vice versa.. You can take it the way you want.. Some say is a religious lyric, being "Jesus" (not JP) the one walking beside us.. But who knows... (except JP..)

[hefdaddy42]

About IWBY: probably.. and it's not even 100% certain about a man and a woman or vice versa.. You can take it the way you want.. Some say is a religious lyric, being "Jesus" (not JP) the one walking beside us.. But who knows... (except JP..)

It's romantic.  It's not religious.  JP has explained this.

[Viking of the Sagas]

They are generally not comfortable writing songs about just religion.

[Zirreall]

FII

[jonnybaxy]

They are generally not comfortable writing songs about just religion.

ITNOG? Blind Faith?

[shredd]

Come on everybody it's obvious that The Astonishing will be the most "real" album lyrically
 

[Viking of the Sagas]

They are generally not comfortable writing songs about just religion.

ITNOG? Blind Faith?

That's just JLB, afaik, but even then Blind Faith isn't all about religion. Even Myung tends to shy away from just religion. They are inspired by religion maybe, but their songs tend to have a larger basis than just that.